Update 12/05:Jeff Grubb has since stated in afollow-up videothat other sources feel that Perfect Dark is looking “really good” and think it’s “coming together” well. Our original report follows.
Summary
Four years ago, Microsoft announced that it was working on aPerfect Darkreboot, finally bringing the cult classic FPS to modern audiences. A year later, it revealed that it waspartnering with Crystal Dynamics on the project,but in 2022, the studio lost nearly half of its staff–including senior writers, the technical director, and the lead gameplay engineer to name a few. Things looked bleak, but two years on, it’s reportedly not gotten any better.
Speaking on the Giant Bomb podcast, host Jeff Grubb said, “I’ve been hearing for years that Perfect Dark is in a rough state. It sounds like it’s in a very rough state. It doesn’t sound like it’s come together in any way since [being announced] and Crystal Dynamics coming on board”.
Did You Know Gaming’sLiam Robertsonbacked up this sentiment, “From what little I have heard about the development of the new Perfect Dark, it sounds like a future video in the making. Just a big, protracted mess.”
Reportedly, Perfect Dark Might Not Even Be An FPS Anymore
The real kicker is that the Perfect Dark reboot–continuing a beloved first-person shooter series–might not even be a first-person shooter.
After Niki Grayson jokingly nodded at Microsoft having some of the most prestigious FPS developers under its belt, like id Software who created the genre in the ’90s withWolfenstein,Doom, andQuake, Grubb said, “It sounds like they don’t even know if that’s what they want to do with that.”
A developer’s LinkedIn profile hinted atthe ‘reboot’ being a remake last year, so if it isn’t an FPS, it’s unclear what exactly itcouldbe. Maybe it’s a cosy farm sim.
We don’t have much official information to go off of even four years later, so we’ve no real idea what Perfect Dark looks like right now, but if reports are to be believed, this might not be the comeback we were all hoping for.
